Item: When You Wish Upon a Rogue
Rating: 4
Author: Alana

When You Wish Upon a Rogue by Anna Bennett
Series: Debutante Diaries #3
Published by St. Martin's Publishing Group on May 26, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Romance
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
Source: ARC

"Something special." - New York Times Book Review
A New York Times Book Review Summer Read Pick!Once upon a time in Anna Bennett's When You Wish Upon a Rogue, three young ladies vowed to record their first London seasons and to fill in the gaps of their educations.
She knows what she wants.

Miss Sophie Kendall is happiest arranging the secret meetings of the Debutante Underground, a group of women who come together to discuss the weekly advice column The Debutante’s Revenge. What makes Sophie most unhappy is her impending march down the aisle to a man she does not love. But her family’s finances are in increasingly dire straits.
He makes an offer she can’t refuse.

Henry Reese, Earl of Warshire, hasn’t slept in weeks. Desperate to escape his manor house and its haunting memories, he heads for one of his abandoned London properties. There he meets a beautiful, intriguing woman—trespassing. Reese is far less interested in Sophie’s search for a secret meeting spot than he is in her surprising ability to soothe his demons. So he strikes a bargain with her: his shop in exchange for spending one night a week with him.

Is this love for real—or just a dream?

Sophie never expected this to happen. But she cannot deny the fire Reese sparks in her—and soon their shared desire burns bright. Sophie is irrevocably promised to another. But maybe these two ill-fated lovers can find a way to risk it all—all the way to happily ever after...

"Sparkling." - Publishers Weekly on When You Wish Upon a Rogue “Fans of...Eloisa James, Tessa Dare, and Mary Jo Putney will go wild.”—Booklist

When You Wish Upon a Rogue is my second time reading Anna Bennett’s work (the first being book two The Duke is but a Dream) and she thoroughly hooked me this time with Sophie and Reese’s first meeting.

I love the concept of a rogue group of women meeting to discuss “taboo” and salacious topics. Sophie’s role as organizer and hostess truly is surprising when compared with her life at home essentially being a sacrifice to a peer because of her father’s drunken debts. She is a complex character with hidden gumption and a gentle, kind, practical disposition that made her story a joy to read. Paired with the grumpy mess that is Reese, the two really blossomed into a couple that readers love to root for.

Watching Sophie’s character arc was incredibly satisfying, though I admit to wondering why she had to be the one to marry for the family. While it was explained away, I still don’t buy it. I was also on the fence regarding the terrors that Reese suffered from and whether it was enough to cause that much torment, but after thinking on it… It’s clear that he is deeply romantic and hangs a lot of his self-worth on his ability to provide and be present for others. The perceived failures in his past would be devastating.

Overall, this was an incredibly sweet romance with just a bit of self-discovery on both sides of the romance. Be prepared for incredibly romantic garden scenes, some steamy no-touch moments, and to sigh happily upon finishing the last page. You can certainly read it as a standalone, though I’m sure you would get more pleasure from starting with book one.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

About Anna Bennett

Anna Bennett started swiping romances from her mom’s bookshelf as a teenager and decided historicals (with their balls, dukes, and gowns) were the best. So, when she had the chance to spend a semester in London she packed her bags—and promptly fell in love with the city, its history, and its pubs. She dreamed of writing romance, but somehow ended up a software analyst instead.

Fortunately, a few years and a few careers later, Anna found her way back to writing the stories she loves and won the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® for Regency Historical Romance. She lives in Maryland with her husband and three children, who try valiantly not to roll their eyes whenever she quotes Jane Austen. Her weaknesses include reality TV, cute shoes, and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.